God, I’m worn out, you pray as the hours tick by. You know your alarm is set to go off in just a few hours, but you haven’t had any sleep. You feel too overwhelmed to relax your shoulders and breathe deeply. You may be facing a personal, heartbreaking crisis right now — and don’t know how to deal with the pain. You may feel that at the end of each day you got nothing accomplished, even though you skipped lunch and didn’t sit down until 10 p.m. Maybe you committed to something that you now realize was way too big for you to handle, and you feel frazzled and fearful.
Whatever the circumstance, you’re now wrestling late into the night with the heavy burden of feeling inundated by life’s demands.
You’re carrying more than you’re able, but you fear if you let go, everything will come toppling down.
Fellow traveler, listen to the words of the psalmist in Psalm 142:3 (NLT). He said,
When I am overwhelmed, You alone know the way I should turn.
Do you know the way you should turn when you are feeling overwhelmed in life? Don’t search yourself for a hidden reserve of strength. Don’t think, If I just can give a little bit more tomorrow, I’ll feel better. No, dear friend. The answer is not in you; it’s in the Lord.
Cry to Him — if you don’t have it all figured out, it’s okay God doesn’t ask us to be spic and span when we fall before His throne. In Psalm 61:2 (NKJV), the psalmist said he cries to the Lord when he is overwhelmed.
From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
God can lead you to a higher place — out of the suffocating circumstances that are clamoring for your attention, your time, your energy, your heart. Not only can He lead you there, but He will carry your burden for you. No longer do you need to feel overloaded and overrun.
Hand it over to God. Tell Him how exhausted you feel. He won’t be disappointed in you.
Tonight, turn to Him. Run into the arms of your Father; He is full of mercy, love, and grace. Breathe deeply, child. The Lord is fighting for you. You don’t need to stumble under the weight of exhaustion anymore. You can emerge, energized by the goodness of God.
Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to You. Do not hide Your face from me when I am in distress. Turn Your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. — Psalm 102:1-2
We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in You. — Psalm 39:6-7 NLT
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. — Ephesians 3:20-21
Excerpted with permission from God’s Peace for When You Can’t Sleep by Christina Vinson, copyright Thomas Nelson.
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Your Turn
Are you overwhelmed by the demands of life right now? Just exhausted from the weight of it all? The Message has a particularly beautiful version of Matthew 11:29-30. Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. Walk with Jesus today, friends. He can carry your burdens. Come share your thoughts with us on our blog. We want to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily